WO2019048359A1

WO2019048359A1 - Gate closer suited to be retrofitted onto a gate with an eyebolt hinge

Info

Publication number: WO2019048359A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/073522
Authority: WO
Inventors: Joseph Talpe
Original assignee: Locinox NV
Current assignee: Locinox NV
Priority date: 2017-09-05
Filing date: 2018-08-31
Publication date: 2019-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 2020-03-05
Also published as: EP3679215A1; ES2896700T3; RU2020112499A3; EP3679215B1; BE1025032B1; RU2020112499A; DK3679215T3; PL3679215T3

Abstract

The gate closer (16) is arranged to be retrofitted onto an eyebolt hinge (2) with a projecting bolt portion (14). It comprises a body (17), an actuating arm (18) which is mounted rotatably according to a first rotational axis (19) onto the body (17), an actuator in said body (17) for actuating the rotating actuating arm (18) and a coupling mechanism (21) for coupling the actuating arm (18) to the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9). The coupling mechanism (21) comprises an inner sleeve (22) arranged to be screwed onto the projecting portion of the eyebolt (9), and an outer sleeve (23) mounted onto the inner sleeve (22) so as to be slidable back and forth, and mounted onto the actuating arm (18) to be rotatable about a second rotational axis (24). The gate closer (16) can thus be retrofitted onto the gate (1) without requiring the gate (1) to be removed from the support (3). Furthermore, for a same angular momentum that can be exerted by the gate closer (16) onto the gate (1), smaller torsional forces are exerted onto the actuating arm (18).

Description

"Gate closer suited to be retrofitted onto a gate with an eyebolt hinge"

The present invention relates to a gate closer which is suited to be retrofitted onto a gate which is hingedly suspended on a side of a support by means of an eyebolt hinge. The eyebolt hinge by means of which the gate is suspended on the support comprises a hinge element mounted onto said side of the support, a hinge pin arranged on said hinge element, and an eyebolt. The eyebolt has an eye portion that is hinged according to a hinge axis about said hinge pin onto said hinge element, and a bolt portion extending through a fastening member on the gate projecting from said side of the gate. The bolt portion of the eyebolt has a projecting portion having a free end, and projecting, at the side of the fastening member facing away from said hinge pin, over a distance from the fastening member of the gate. The fastening member is clamped between two adjustment nuts on the bolt portion of the eyebolt. The adjustment nuts are provided for adjusting the distance over which the bolt portion of the eyebolt projects, and thus the distance between the gate and the support.

The gate closer to which the invention relates comprises a body, an actuating arm which is mounted rotatably according to a first rotational axis onto said body, an actuator in said body for actuating the rotating actuating arm and a coupling mechanism for coupling the actuating arm onto the bolt portion of the eyebolt. The body of the gate closer is further configured to be mounted below or above said eyebolt hinge onto said support with said first rotational axis substantially parallel to said hinge axis. Such a gate closer is known from EP-A-3 162 997. The actuating arm of this known gate closer has an upright end in which a vertical elongated hole is arranged, through which the bolt portion of the eyebolt is to be arranged. A small block is arranged in the elongated hole in the actuating arm, having an opening that fits precisely around a nut screwed onto the bolt portion of the eyebolt. The vertical edges of the opening in the block are somewhat rounded so that the block can slightly rotate in relation to the nut on the eyebolt. Such a rotation is required if the rotational axis of the arm does not fully coincide with the hinge axis of the eyebolt hinge. The block itself can slide up and down over a small distance in the elongated hole in the actuating arm, which is required to allow tolerances in the vertical position of the gate closer on the pole to be absorbed. The sliding up and down of the block is further also required if the rotational axis of the actuating arm is not entirely parallel to the hinge axis of the eyebolt hinge.

In the known gate closer, the upright end of the actuating arm is adapted to be arranged onto the eyebolt between the eye portion of the eyebolt and the projecting fastening member. The nut with which the block is to cooperate is also meant to be arranged in this location. Thus, the problem that arises when retrofitting the gate closer onto the gate is that the gate needs to be removed from the support to be able to place the actuating arm of the gate closer over the eyebolt. Furthermore, the actuating arm must be placed over the eyebolt before the gate closer can be mounted onto the support, which complicates a correct mounting of the gate closer onto the support.

A further disadvantage of the known gate closer is that the actuating arm can only be of limited length, as it needs to be on the gate between the eye portion of the eyebolt and the projecting fastening member, even when the gate is at a minimal distance of the support. This causes large forces to occur, as a result of the angular momentum that the gate closer needs to exert onto the gate, between the end of the actuating arm and the eyebolt. Because of the vertical distance which always exists between the location where the actuating arm is mounted onto the body of the gate closer and the bolt portion of the eyebolt, large torsional forces are thus exerted onto the actuating arm. These torsional forces not only have to be absorbed by the actuating arm, but also by the bearings by means of which the actuating arm is mounted onto the body of the gate closer. Not only the actuating arm, but its bearings as well, should therefore be executed in a sturdy and heavy form to prevent damage to the gate closer.

The invention now aims to provide a novel gate closer which can be retrofitted onto the gate without having to remove the gate from the support, and wherein, for a same angular momentum that can be exerted by the gate closer onto the gate, smaller torsional forces are exerted onto the actuating arm.

To his aim, the gate closer according to the invention is characterized in that said coupling mechanism comprises an inner sleeve arranged to be screwed over the free end of the bolt portion of the eyebolt onto the projecting portion of said bolt portion, and an outer sleeve which is arranged onto the inner sleeve so as to be slidable back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the bolt portion of the eyebolt, and which is mounted onto the actuating arm so as to be rotatable about a second rotational axis, which is parallel to said first rotational axis.

Contrary to the known gate closer, the actuating arm of the gate closer according to the invention is coupled with the portion of the eyebolt that projects through the projecting fastening member of the gate. This way, the gate does not need to be disassembled for the gate closer to be retrofitted onto it. Consequently, a further major advantage of the gate closer is that the distance between the first rotational axis, being the axis around which the actuating arm rotates, and the second rotational axis, being the axis around which the coupling mechanism rotates between the actuating arm and the eyebolt, is substantially larger than in the known gate closer. As a result, a substantially smaller force needs to be exerted by the coupling mechanism onto the eyebolt to achieve the same angular momentum onto the gate. The force can for instance be over two times smaller, or even smaller, particularly if the distance between the first and second rotational axes is greater than the distance between the hinge axis and the free end of the eyebolt. The torsional forces that are exerted onto the actuating arm and onto its bearings are thus substantially smaller as well, particularly smaller by the same amount as the force exerted by the coupling mechanism onto the eyebolt.

In an embodiment of the gate closer according to the invention, said outer sleeve has an open end, allowing the inner sleeve to be screwed through the outer sleeve onto the projecting portion of the eyebolt.

This embodiment allows the coupling mechanism to be arranged onto the eyebolt or to be removed from it when the gate closer is mounted onto the support. The gate closer can thus first be mounted onto the support in the correct position below the eyebolt hinge, before coupling its actuating arm with the eyebolt of the eyebolt hinge. In the absence of the inner sleeve, there is a relatively large gap between the eyebolt and the outer sleeve, allowing, with a correct selection of the various dimensions, the outer sleeve to be tilted over the free end of the eyebolt by a combined rotational movement of the outer sleeve around the second rotational axis and of the actuating arm around the first rotational axis.

In an embodiment of the gate closer according to the invention, said outer sleeve has an inner diameter and a free end arranged to be mounted over the projecting portion of the eyebolt, said second rotational axis is located at a first distance from said first rotational axis and said second rotational axis is located at a second distance, measured along the longitudinal direction of the outer sleeve, from the free end of the outer sleeve, wherein said inner diameter, said first distance and second distance are determined so that, when the gate closer is mounted below the eyebolt hinge with said first rotational axis in line with the hinge axis, said outer sleeve, by rotating the actuating arm about said first rotational axis and by rotating the outer sleeve about said second rotational axis, can be mounted or removed over the projecting portion of the eyebolt in the absence of the inner sleeve.

When the actuating arm is made longer, or i.o.w. when the first distance is greater, the outer sleeve is already more tilted during its mounting onto the free end of the eyebolt when it starts contacting the eyebolt. As the outer sleeve thus only needs to be rotated further over a smaller angle before coming in line with the longitudinal axis of the eyebolt, the difference between the inner diameter of the outer sleeve and the outer diameter of the eyebolt does not need to be as large to allow the outer sleeve to be tilted onto the eyebolt. Moreover, the inner diameter of the outer sleeve is evidently also of importance to allow the outer sleeve to be tilted over the free end of the eyebolt. The greater this inner diameter, the faster this becomes possible.

Preferably, said first distance and said second distance are determined so that, when the gate closer is mounted below the eyebolt hinge with said first rotational axis in line with the hinge axis, said outer sleeve overlaps with the eyebolt over a third distance, which third distance is at least 45%, preferably at least 50% and more preferably at least 55% of the inner diameter of the outer sleeve.

The greater the overlap between the outer sleeve and the eyebolt, the stronger the coupling between both. This preferred embodiment thus allows the overlap between both to be increased.

Preferably said first distance is smaller than the distance between the hinge axis and the free end of the eyebolt plus the inner diameter of the outer sleeve.

Such a small length of the actuating arm allows the outer sleeve to be tilted over the eyebolt over a relatively large distance. In an embodiment of the gate closer according to the invention, the bolt portion of the eyebolt has an outer diameter and said outer sleeve has an inner diameter which is at least 15%, preferably at least 20% greater than the outer diameter of the bolt portion of the eyebolt.

The greater the difference between the outer diameter of the eyebolt and the inner diameter of the outer sleeve, the easier the outer sleeve can be tilted onto the eyebolt, and hence, the greater the overlap between the outer sleeve and the eyebolt can be.

In an embodiment of the gate closer according to the invention, said actuator comprises a motor, particularly an electric motor or a hydraulic motor.

The motor is preferably arranged to rotate said actuating arm in both directions, so that the gate closer is not only provided for closing the gate but also for opening it.

Preferably, said motor is locked inside the body of the gate closer by means of a locking mechanism, and the motor can be released by means of this locking mechanism to allow the actuating arm to be rotated manually.

Thus, in case of a motor malfunction, for instance in case of a power failure, it is still possible to release the gate by means of the locking mechanism. This locking mechanism preferably comprises a cylinder lock operated by means of a key.

In another embodiment of the gate closer according to the invention, said actuator comprises a spring arranged to urge said actuating arm in in one direction for closing said gate, and to be tensioned upon rotating the actuating arm in the other direction, when opening said gate.

This embodiment allows automatic closing of the gate without requiring a motor. In an embodiment of the gate closer according to the invention, said actuating arm is mounted onto the body of the gate closer by means of a double ball bearing.

A double ball bearing allows the torsional forces exerted onto the actuating arm to be absorbed in an efficient manner. Each of both ball bearings can therefore be made relatively light.

In an embodiment of the gate closer according to the invention, the body of the gate closer is configured to be mounted onto said support with said first rotational axis substantially lying in line as an extension of said hinge axis.

When the rotational axis of the actuating arm substantially lies in line with the hinge axis as an extension of it, when opening and closing the gate, the outer sleeve will not slide over the inner sleeve, or only slide over a minimal distance, as a result of which the coupling mechanism will always retain its maximal strength.

In an embodiment of the gate closer according to the invention, the actuating arm is provided with an opening, and the outer sleeve is provided with a protrusion that fits into said opening and is able to rotate therein according to said second rotational axis. Preferably, said protrusion has a free end into which a bolt is screwed to fix said protrusion in said opening.

By providing a fixed protrusion on the outer sleeve that fits in an opening in the actuating arm, a sturdy coupling between the actuating arm and the outer sleeve can be achieved. Particularly, such a coupling is able to resist the relatively large torsional forces exerted thereon.

In an embodiment of the gate closer according to the invention, said inner sleeve has a cylindrical outer casing and said outer sleeve has a cylindrical inner casing. Such sleeves are not only easy to produce, but moreover occupy only a minimal volume, which benefits the elegance of the gate closer.

The invention further relates to a gate which is mounted to a support by means of an eyebolt hinge, and onto which a gate closer according to the invention is arranged.

Further advantages and particularities of the invention will become clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of a gate closer according to the invention. This description is however merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope as determined by the claims. The reference numbers indicated in the description refer to the amended drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a gate suspended from a pole by means of an eyebolt hinge, wherein a gate closer according to the invention is arranged on the eyebolt hinge;

Figure 2 shows the same perspective view as figure 1 , but viewed from another angle;

Figures 3 and 4 respectively show a front view and a top view of the gate suspended from a pole by means of an eyebolt hinge, which is provided with a gate closer as shown in figures 1 and 2;

Figure 5 shows a top view as shown in figure 4 wherein the inner sleeve is removed and the outer sleeve of the eyebolt is tilted by means of a rotation of the actuating arm in relation to the body of the gate closer, and by means of a rotation of the outer sleeve in relation to the actuating arm;

Figure 6 shows a horizontal cross section through the gate closer with the outer sleeve tilted and the actuating arm rotated as shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 shows the same front view as figure 3, but with the eyebolt hinge and the gate closer shown in longitudinal cross section; Figure 8 shows the longitudinal cross section as shown in figure 7 at the level of the eyebolt hinge and the actuating arm on a larger scale;

Figure 9 shows the same front view as figure 7, but with the distance between the pole and the gate increased by means of the eyebolt hinge;

Figure 10 shows the same front view as figure 7, but with the projecting fastening member of the eyebolt on the gate fixed to the gate by welding, instead of being mounted thereto with adjustable height;

Figure 1 1 shows the same perspective view as figure 1 wherein the gate closer comprises a spring instead of a motor for closing the gate; and

Figure 12 shows a front view of the gate suspended from a pole by means of an eyebolt hinge, provided with a gate closer as shown in figure 1 1 , wherein the eyebolt hinge and the gate closer with spring are shown in longitudinal cross section view

The gate 1 shown in figure 1 is hingedly suspended at the top and at the bottom (not shown) from a support 3, more specifically from a pole, by means of a height adjustable eyebolt hinge 2. The eyebolt hinge 2 is a hinge as described in EP-B-1 528 202 or in EP-A-2 778 331 . For affixing this hinge to the gate 1 , a rail 4 is welded against the lateral side of the gate. In this rail 4, a slidable gliding piece 5 is provided, into which two bolts 6 are screwed. With these bolts 6, a fastening member 7 projecting from the front of the gate 1 is mounted onto the gate 1 at an adjustable height. The projecting fastening member 7 is provided with an elongated hole 8 for attaching the eyebolt 9 of the eyebolt hinge 2. Instead of mounting the projecting fastening member 7 onto the rail 4 so that its height is adjustable, it is also possible to affix the projecting fastening member 7 directly onto the gate 1 , for instance by welding. Such an embodiment is shown in figure 10. Apart from the eyebolt 9, the eyebolt hinge 2 comprises a U- shaped hinge element 10 that is attached to the front of the pole 3, particularly by welding. On this hinge element 10, a hinge pin 1 1 is provided. The eyebolt 9 has an eye portion 12 that is hinged according to a hinge axis 13 onto the hinge pin 1 1 . The eyebolt 9 further comprises a bolt portion 14 extending through the elongated hole 8 in the projecting fastening member 7. The bolt portion 14 of the eyebolt 9 thus has a portion that projects from the fastening member 7 of the gate over a distance, and that comprises the free end of the eyebolt. For attaching the eyebolt 9 to the projecting fastening member 7, two adjustment nuts 15 are screwed onto the bolt portion 14 of the eyebolt 9 on either side of said fastening member 7, between which the projecting fastening member 7 is clamped. The adjustment nuts 15 allow the distance from the gate 1 to the pole 3 to be adjusted, whereby the distance over which the bolt portion 14 of the eyebolt projects from the fastening member 7 also varies.

The gate closer 16 comprises a body 17, an actuating arm

18 which is mounted rotatably according to a first rotational axis 19 onto the body 17 of the gate closer 16, an actuator 20, shown in figure 7, in the body 17 for actuating the rotating actuating arm 18 and a coupling mechanism 21 for coupling the actuating arm 18 to the bolt portion 14 of the eyebolt 9. The body 17 of the gate closer 16 is configured to be mounted below the eyebolt hinge 2 onto the pole 3 with the rotational axis

19 of the actuating arm 18 substantially parallel to, and preferably substantially in line with the hinge axis 13 of the eyebolt hinge 2. When the gate 1 is suspended at the bottom from the support 3 by means of an eyebolt hinge 2, the gate closer 16 can also be mounted onto the support above this lower eyebolt hinge 2. Optionally, the gate closer 16 can also be mounted onto the support 3 above the upper eyebolt hinge 2 when the support projects a sufficient distance above the upper eyebolt hinge 2. The coupling mechanism 21 comprises an inner sleeve 22 arranged to be screwed onto the projecting portion of said bolt portion 14 over the free end of the bolt portion 14 of the eyebolt 9, and a cylindrical outer sleeve 23 arranged on the inner sleeve 22 so as to be slidable back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the bolt portion 14 of the eyebolt 9. Preferably, the outer sleeve 23 has a cylindrical inner casing and the inner sleeve 22 has a cylindrical outer casing, wherein the inner casing of the outer sleeve 23 fits with some clearance around the outer casing of the inner sleeve 22.

The outer sleeve 23 is further mounted onto the actuating arm 18 so as to be rotatable around a second rotational axis 24, which is parallel to the first rotational axis 19. The actuating arm 18 is thereto provided, at its free end, with a vertical opening 25, and the outer sleeve is provided with a protrusion 26 that fits in the opening 25 and that can rotate therein according to the second rotational axis 24. Both the opening 25 and the protrusion 26 are preferably cylindrical. For fixing the protrusion 26 in the opening 25, a bolt 27 is screwed into the free end of the protrusion 26.

For arranging the inner sleeve 22 onto the bolt portion 14 of the eyebolt 9 when the outer sleeve 23 is already placed over this bolt portion 14, the outer sleeve 23 has an open end that can be closed by means of a screwable cap 28. Both in the front end of the inner sleeve 22 and in the front end of the screwable cap 28, a hexagonal cavity for an Allan key is provided, by means of which both can be screwed tight. To prevent the screwable cap 28 to be unscrewed again, the hexagonal cavity in the screwable cap 28 is drilled out after screwing it tight, making the cavity cylindrical. In that way, the inner sleeve 22 can no longer be unscrewed, or can only partly be unscrewed, with the coupling mechanism always remaining attached on the eyebolt. A potential burglar can thus no longer detach the gate 1 from the support. The inner sleeve 22 preferably has a length so as to be screwable over the free end of the eyebolt 9 up against one of the two adjustment nuts 15. Not only does this allow the inner sleeve 22 to be fixed onto the bolt portion 14 of the eyebolt 9, by screwing the inner sleeve 22 sufficiently tight, but the inner sleeve 22 also provides a strengthening of the projecting portion of the eyebolt 9. In this way, the eyebolt 9 can better resist the considerable forces exerted onto it by the gate closer 16.

In an alternative embodiment, not shown in the figures, it is also possible to remove the outer adjustment nut 15 and to screw the inner sleeve 22 up against the projecting fastening member 7 of the gate 1 , optionally by intermediary of a washer. This offers the advantage that the gate 1 can be adjusted up to a greater distance from the pole. However, the gate 1 then needs to be held in position when releasing the outer adjustment nut 15, for instance by keeping it clamped against the inner adjustment nut 15 by means of a clamp placed over the pole 3 and the side post of the gate 1 .

As shown in figures 5 and 6, it is possible to install the outer sleeve 23 of the coupling mechanism 21 between the actuating arm 18 and the eyebolt 9 over the bolt portion 14 of the eyebolt 9 after the gate closer 16 has already been mounted to the pole 3. Thereto, it is only required to rotate the actuating arm 18 around its rotational axis 19 and to simultaneously rotate the outer sleeve 23 around its rotational axis 24. As the inner sleeve 22 has not yet been installed, or in the case of disassembly, has already been removed, there is sufficient clearance between the bolt portion 14 of the eyebolt 9 and the inner casing of the outer sleeve 23. The outer sleeve 23 herein preferably has an inner diameter that is preferably at least 15%, and more preferably at least 20% greater than the outer diameter of the bolt portion 14 of the eyebolt 9. The greater this difference in diameter, the further the outer sleeve 23 can be tilted over the eyebolt 9, and thus, the stronger the connection between both.

To enable the outer sleeve 23 to be tilted over the eyebolt 9, the actuating arm 18 first of all needs to be of sufficient length. If the free end of the eyebolt 9 is located at a distance 29 (indicated in figure 8) from the hinge axis 13, and the second rotational axis 24 is at a first distance 30 from the first rotational axis 19, this first distance 30 needs to be sufficiently large when compared to the distance 29, wherein, however, the first distance does not always need to be larger than the distance 29 but may also be somewhat smaller. The smaller the first distance 30, the further the outer sleeve 23 will be able to be tilted over the eyebolt 9. Preferably, therefore, the first distance 30 is smaller than the distance between the hinge axis 13 and the free end of the eyebolt 9 plus the inner diameter of the outer sleeve 23.

For a predetermined first distance 30, the second distance

31 , being the distance 31 between the second rotational axis 24 and the free end of the outer sleeve 23 which is installed over the eyebolt 9, measured along the longitudinal direction of the outer sleeve 23, should be sufficiently small for the outer sleeve 23 to be tiltable onto the eyebolt 9 by rotating the actuating arm 18 around the first rotational axis 1 9 and rotating the outer sleeve 23 around the second rotational axis 24. However, the second distance 31 should preferably be chosen to be sufficiently large for the distance over which the outer sleeve 23 extends over the eyebolt 9, hereafter called third distance 32, to be sufficiently large.

To ensure the sturdiness of the coupling between the actuating arm 18 and the eyebolt 9, this third distance 32, i.e. the distance of the overlap between the outer sleeve 23 and the eyebolt 9, is important. When the outer sleeve 23 needs to be able to be tilted over the eyebolt 9 as described above, this distance 32 is larger when the rotational axis 24 of the outer sleeve 23 is at a larger second distance 31 from the free end of the outer sleeve 23. The first distance 30 is preferably chosen to be sufficiently small, and the second distance 31 to be sufficiently large, so that when the gate closer 16 is mounted below the eyebolt hinge 2 with the first rotational axis 19 in line with the hinge axis 13, the third distance 32 is at least 45%, preferably at least 50% and more preferably at least 55% of the inner diameter of the outer sleeve 23.

For example, in the embodiment shown in figure 8, the first distance 30 is about 80% of the inner diameter of the outer sleeve 23 larger than the distance 29 between the hinge axis 13 and the free end of the eyebolt 9, and the second distance is about 143% of the inner diameter of the outer sleeve 23. As a result of choosing these dimensions, the third distance 32 is substantially 60% of the inner diameter of the outer sleeve 23.

Because the outer sleeve 23 can slide along its longitudinal direction over the inner sleeve 22, it remains possible to adjust the distance between the gate 1 and the support 3 by means of the eyebolt 9. In figure 7, for instance, the gate is closer to the support 3 than in figure 9. It is important to note that the distance 32 over which the outer sleeve 23 overlaps with the eyebolt 9 always remains the same. The strength of the coupling mechanism 21 thus also remains the same.

The sliding connecting between both sleeves 22, 23 further offers the advantage that the gate closer 16 does not need to be mounted correctly onto the support 3 below the eyebolt hinge 2, with the rotational axis 19 of the actuating arm 18 in line with the hinge axis 13. Even if both axes are not in line with each other, the gate closer can function correctly.

The actuator 20 provided inside the gate closer 16 may, as shown in figures 7 to 10, comprise a motor, or, as shown in figure 12, a spring mechanism.

The motor may be a hydraulic motor, but an electric motor is preferred due to its compactness. In figure 7, an electric motor 33 is shown schematically inside the body 17 of the gate closer 16. This electric motor 33 comprises a motor body 34 with the coils required for actuating a rotating driving axis 35. This driving axis 35 extends at the top inside the actuating arm 18 of the gate closer to rotate it around the first rotational axis 19. The actuating arm 18 is mounted at the top in the body 17 of the gate closer 16 by means of a double ball bearing 36 so that it can rotate around the first rotational axis 19. The body 17 of the gate closer 16 is screwed onto the support 3 by means of two bolts 37 at the top and a third bolt 38.

In the gate closer 16 shown in figure 7, the motor body 34 has a cylindrical outer casing which fits into a cylindrical space in the body 17 of the gate closer 16. This way, the motor body 34 can be rotated in the body 17 of the gate closer 16. However, for actuating the actuating arm 18 it is required that the motor body 34 is locked in the body 17 of the gate closer 16. Thereto, in the embodiment shown in figure 7 a locking mechanism 39 with a lock cylinder 40 is provided. By means of this locking mechanism 39 the motor body 34 can be locked or unlocked using a key. This allows the gate 1 to be opened manually, for instance during an electrical power failure.

By means of the motor, the gate can be both opened and closed. The motor is further provided with a control by means of which the resting position of the actuating arm 18 can be set. This allows the gate closer to be used both for a left-turning gate and for a right-turning gate.

The gate closer shown in figure 12 does not have motor as its actuator 20 but a spring 41 , more specifically a torsion spring. When opening the gate 1 , this spring 41 is tensioned, and when closing the gate 1 the spring 41 causes the automatic closing of the gate 1 . The gate closer further comprises a hydraulic damper 42 dampening the closing movement of the gate. The hydraulic damper 42 comprises a cylinder 43 divided into two chambers by means of a piston 44. The damper 42 is provided with a one-way valve that allows the hydraulic liquid to flow from one chamber to the other when opening the gate. When closing the gate, the valve is closed and the hydraulic liquid can only flow back to the other chamber through a narrow passage.

As shown in figure 12, the actuating arm 18 of the gate closer 16 is mounted at the top onto a shaft 46 extending throughout the gate closer 16 by means of a pin 45. Both at the top and at the bottom a double bearing 47, 48 is provided between the shaft 46 and the body 17 of the gate closer, so that the actuating arm is again mounted onto the body 17 of the gate closer 16 by means of a double ball bearing.

At the top and at the bottom, the actuating arm 18 can be mounted in a similar way onto the shaft 46 by means of the pin 45. Thus, the gate closer 16 can be mounted onto the support 3 in two vertical positions, namely in one position for a left-turning gate and in the reversed position for a right-turning gate.

Apart from the double ball bearings 47, 48, the body 17 of the gate closer 16 is attached to the support 3 by means of two bolts 49, 50. In figure 12, the upper end of the torsion spring 41 is attached to the body 17 of the gate closer 16, while the bottom end of the torsion spring 41 is attached to the shaft 46, more specifically by intermediary of the pin 51 .

The bottom part of the body of the gate closer forms the cylinder 43 which is filled with a hydraulic liquid and sealed at the top and at the bottom by oil seals 52. In the upper chamber of the cylinder 43, a threaded sleeve 53 is fixed to the shaft 43 by means of a pin 54. The piston 44 itself is provided at the top with an internally threaded sleeve 55 screwed onto the sleeve 53 of the shaft 46. Because the piston 44 cannot rotate inside the cylinder 43, a rotating motion of the shaft 46 causes an upward and downward motion of the piston 44.

As already described above, a one-way valve is provided in the piston 44 (not shown in figure 12) which ensures that the hydraulic damper 42 provides substantially no dampening when opening the gate. ln the bottom part of the shaft 46 a small channel 56 is provided which connects the upper chamber of the cylinder 43 to its bottom chamber. Through the bottom end of the shaft 46, an adjustment screw 57 is screwed into this channel 56. The adjustment screw 57 is more specifically provided with a needle 58 that forms a needle valve by means of which the flow rate of the hydraulic liquid through het channel 56, or i.o.w. the dampening effect of the hydraulic damper 42, can be adjusted.

Claims

1 . Gate closer, suited to be retrofitted onto a gate (1 ) which is hingedly suspended on a side of a support (3) by means of an eyebolt hinge (2), wherein said eyebolt hinge (2) comprises a hinge element (10) mounted to said side of the support (3), a hinge pin (1 1 ) arranged on said hinge element (10) and an eyebolt (9), said eyebolt (9) having an eye portion (12) that is hinged onto said hinge element (10) about said hinge pin (1 1 ) according to a hinge axis (13), and a bolt portion (14) extending through a fastening member (7) on the gate (1 ) projecting from said side of the gate (1 ), wherein the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9) has a projecting portion having a free end and projecting at the side of the fastening member (7) facing away from said hinge pin (1 1 ) over a distance from the fastening member (7) of the gate (1 ), and wherein said fastening member (7) is clamped between two adjustment nuts (15) on the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9), which adjustment nuts (15) are arranged to adjust the distance over which the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9) projects, and thus the distance between the gate (1 ) and the support (3),

which gate closer (16) comprises a body (17), an actuating arm (18) which is mounted rotatably according to a first rotational axis (19) onto said body (17), an actuator (20) in said body for actuating the rotating actuating arm (18) and a coupling mechanism (21 ) for coupling the actuating arm (18) to the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9), wherein the body (17) of the gate closer (16) is configured to be mounted below said eyebolt hinge (2) onto said support (3) with said first rotational axis (19) substantially parallel to said hinge axis (13),

characterized in that

said coupling mechanism (21 ) comprises an inner sleeve (22) arranged to be screwed over the free end of the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9) onto the projecting portion of said bolt portion (14), and an outer sleeve (23) which is mounted onto the inner sleeve (22) so as to be slidable back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9), and which is mounted rotatably about a second rotational axis (24), which is parallel to said first rotational axis (19), onto the actuating arm (18).

2. Gate closer according to claim 1 , characterized in that said outer sleeve (23) has an open end, allowing the inner sleeve (22) to be screwed through the outer sleeve (23) onto the projecting portion of the eyebolt (9).

3. Gate closer according to claim 2, characterized in that the open end of the outer sleeve (23) is closed off by means of a screwable cap (28).

4. Gate closer according to any of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said inner sleeve (22) has such a length that it can be screwed over the free end of the eyebolt (9) up against one of the two adjustment nuts (15).

5. Gate closer according to any of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said inner sleeve (22) has such a length that it can be screwed over the free end of the eyebolt (9) up against the projecting fastening member (7), replacing one of the two adjustment nuts (15).

6. Gate closer according to any of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said outer sleeve (23) has an inner diameter and a free end arranged to be installed over the projecting portion of the eyebolt (9), in that said second rotational axis (24) is located at a first distance (30) from said first rotational axis (19), and in that said second rotational axis (24) is located at a second distance (31 ), measured along the longitudinal direction of the outer sleeve (23), from the free end of the outer sleeve (23), wherein said inner diameter, said first distance (30) and said second distance (31 ) are determined so that, when the gate closer (16) is mounted below the eyebolt hinge (2) with said first rotational axis (19) in line with the hinge axis (13), said outer sleeve (23) can be mounted or removed over the projecting portion of the eyebolt (9) in the absence of the inner sleeve (22), by rotating the actuating arm (18) about said first rotational axis (19) and by rotating the outer sleeve (23) about said second rotational axis (24).

7. Gate closer according to claim 6, characterized in that said first distance (30) and said second distance (31 ) are determined so that, when the gate closer (16) is mounted below the eyebolt hinge (2) with said first rotational axis (19) in line with the hinge axis (13), said outer sleeve (23) overlaps with the eyebolt (9) over a third distance (32), which third distance is at least 45%, preferably at least 50% and more preferably at least 55% of the inner diameter of the outer sleeve (23).

8. Gate closer according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that said first distance (30) is smaller than the distance between the hinge axis (13) and the free end of the eyebolt (9) plus the inner diameter of the outer sleeve (23).

9. Gate closer according to any of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9) has an outer diameter and said outer sleeve (23) has an inner diameter which is at least 15%, preferably at least 20% greater than the outer diameter of the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9).

10. Gate closer according to any of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said actuator (20) comprises a motor (33), particularly an electric motor or a hydraulic motor.

1 1 . Gate closer according to claim 10, characterized in that said motor (33) is arranged to rotate said actuating arm (18) in both directions for opening and for closing said gate (1 ).

12. Gate closer according to claim 10 or 1 1 , characterized in that said motor (33) is locked in the body (17) of the gate closer (16) by means of a locking mechanism (39) and in that the motor (33) can be unlocked by means of this locking mechanism (39) to allow the actuating arm (18) to be rotated manually.

13. Gate closer according to any of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that said actuator (20) comprises a spring (41 ) arranged to urge said actuating arm (18) in one direction to close said gate (1 ), and to be tensioned upon rotation of the actuating arm (18) in the other direction, when opening said gate (1 ).

14. Gate closer according to any of the claims 1 to 13, characterized in that said actuating arm (18) is mounted onto the body (17) of the gate closer (16) by means of a double ball bearing (36, 47).

15. Gate closer according to any of the claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the body (17) of the gate closer (16) is configured to be mounted onto said support (3) with said first rotational axis (19) substantially lying in line as an extension of said hinge axis (13).

16. Gate closer according to any of the claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the actuating arm (18) is provided with an opening (25) and the outer sleeve (23) is provided with a protrusion (26) that fits inside said opening (25) and can rotate therein according to said second rotational axis (24).

17. Gate closer according to claim 16, characterized in that said protrusion (26) has a free end into which a bolt (27) is screwed to fix said protrusion (26) in said opening (25).

18. Gate closer according to any of the claims 1 to 17, characterized in that said inner sleeve (22) has a cylindrical outer casing and said outer sleeve (23) a has cylindrical inner casing.

19. Gate, provided with a gate closer, wherein said gate (1 ) is hingedly mounted on a side of a support (3) by means of an eyebolt hinge (2), wherein said eyebolt hinge (2) comprises a hinge element (10) mounted onto said side of the support (3), a hinge pin (1 1 ) arranged on said hinge element (10) and an eyebolt (9), which eyebolt (9) has an eye portion (12) that is hinged onto said hinge element (10) about said hinge pin (10) according to a hinge axis (13), and a bolt portion (14) extending through a fastening member (7) on the gate (1 ) projecting from said side of the gate (1 ), wherein the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9) has a projecting portion having a free end and projecting at the side of the fastening member (7) facing away from said hinge pin (1 1 ) over a distance from the fastening member (7) of the gate (1 ), and wherein said fastening member (7) is clamped between two adjustment nuts (15) onto the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9), which adjustment nuts (15) are arranged to adjust the distance over which the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9) projects, and thus the distance between the gate (1 ) and the support (3),

which gate closer (16) comprises a body (17), an actuating arm (18) which is mounted rotatably according to a first rotational axis (13) onto said body (17), an actuator (20) in said body (17) for actuating the rotating actuating arm (18) and a coupling mechanism (21 ) for coupling the actuating arm (18) to the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9), wherein the body (17) of the gate closer (16) is configured to be mounted below or above said eyebolt hinge (2) onto said support (3) with said first rotational axis (19) parallel to said hinge axis (13),

characterized in that

said coupling mechanism (21 ) comprises an inner sleeve (22) screwed onto said bolt portion (14) over the free end of the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9), and an outer sleeve (23) which is mounted onto the inner sleeve (22) so as to be slidable back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the bolt portion (14) of the eyebolt (9), and which is mounted onto the actuating arm (18) to be rotatable about a second rotational axis (24), which is parallel to said first rotational axis (19).

20. Gate according to claim 19, characterized in that said gate closer (16) has the characteristics according to any of the claims 2 to 18.